Recently, I spent some time navel-gazing in the worst way possible - watching old videos of myself. I started with 5th grade when I was TINY (why did I not realize how incredibly small and thin I was?! Must have been all those turtleneck/puffy sweater outfits)...seriously, my legs were like toothpicks. Then add some more footage of me and my flat chest in high school, and via my video time capsule, work my way into the sad years. Also known as my short stint as a professional cheerleader.

Throughout all the embarassing footage, complete with fashion faux pas' and insanely bad hair, the only thing that really resonated was this: I used to think that I was thin because I was young. I categorically rejected any other explanation, and placed any blame for my current body squarely on the shoulders of Father Time. But my age had relatively nothing to do with it - I was just REALLY ACTIVE. I had forgotten how much I had going on...it's a wonder I found time to eat at all!

And since no one likes a whiny blogger, I'll leave it at that - an epiphany regarding my activity level in my youth and teenage years. So I decided to do something about it...start exercising again. Because...duh.

The one thing that really keeps me motivated during a workout is good music - it has to have the right meter and pace to it, and it must be FULL of energy. I am not the person who can run around a track listening to "Brown Eyed Girl."

So I present to you, my "trying to get back into shape" workout mix - known to my iPod as "Work it Out (Get in Shape Girl!)"